Scaffolding

Scaffolding Page Created By Julie Burnett Warner

The Definition--Scaffolding is an instructional technique that can be used at any educational level because it focuses on the learner obtaining the desired skill through interactions with a competent individual. The student observes the more competent person demonstrating the skill to be learned and then instructional support is given to the student to allow them to model the skill set of the more competent learner.

Background--This instructional method was developed by Lev Vygostsky, a developmental psychologist. He saw three levels of mastery--predevelopment, the zone of proximinal development, and the zone of actual development.

In the the predevelopment stage, the student can't solve problems in the desired skill area, even with help from the instructor. The are "lost" and need to have further instruction to be able to start on the road to mastery.

In the zone of proximinal development, the student begins to gain understanding through the modeling of the skill by the more competent learner and they begin to express confidence and try to use the new skill with assistance from the more competent learner. This zone is where cognitive development takes place. The teacher watched the student and gauges their level of understanding of the skill and then decides when to step in to model the skill for the student to "push" them up the scaffold toward independent skill usage and mastery.

Once they reach the zone of actual development, the student can use the attained skill to problem solve on their own and mastery of that skill is achieved. This is now when the student works independently and uses the the skill on their own. Confidence is expressed and learning has taken place. The student can now assume the role of the more competent learner in the scaffolding scenario and can help other students toward the zone of proxinimal development.(eHow.com, 2013)

Best Practices for the use of Scaffolding--to scaffold effectively, the following are some tried and true methods to use in your classroom.

Fish Bowl Activity

Think Alouds

KWL Charts

Time to Talk

Frontload Vocabulary

Use Visual Aids

Pause, Question, Pause, Assess (Edutopia.org, 2013)

Annotated Links

Scaffolding as a teaching strategy--You tube video of an educator explaining scaffolding in a small group

Scaffolding Best Practice Techniques--Explanation of the strategies listed above.

Scaffolding Overview--This gives the teacher some good ideas on how to use scaffolding in their classroom.